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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28782741">Indirect [Love] Language</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawnrider/pseuds/Dawnrider'>Dawnrider</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/idreamofsoup/pseuds/idreamofsoup'>idreamofsoup</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bodyguard, Collaboration, Drama &amp; Romance, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:27:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,174</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28782741</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawnrider/pseuds/Dawnrider, https://archiveofourown.org/users/idreamofsoup/pseuds/idreamofsoup</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU: Izayoi is a silver spoon kid with a heart of gold. And a feisty streak...  When met with the frustratingly stoic demeanor of her undoubtedly handsome bodyguard Touga, she can't help teasing him... a bit. Just to get him to take his face mask off! He doesn't budge until she pushes him too far...</p><p>Why, oh why, couldn't she just ask directly?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Inu no Taishou/Izayoi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Inu Parents Day 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Indirect [Love] Language</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello my dears!  This is my first contribution to the InuParents Day 2021 event!  In it you will find amazing art by the very talented <a href="https://dreaming-of-soup.tumblr.com/"> Dreaming-of-Soup </a> with whom I had the pleasure of collaborating for this event! Please surf through the <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/InuParentsDay2021/profile"> collection </a> for other works for this event and our <a href="https://inuparentsday.tumblr.com/%20rel="> Tumblr Page </a> to see submissions that may not be in the collection.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>It shouldn't have been so funny. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He</span>
  </em>
  <span> certainly didn't think so. Her father had given her several lectures about giving her bodyguard a hard time. Though her father didn't know the extent to which she was making it hard for poor, patient, Touga. As the daughter of a communications mogul, Izayoi needed to carry herself with a certain level of decorum…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was just too easy though!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had started as little things. "Oh, I left my purse behind, could you…" Dutifully, he would head up the long staircase to her room to collect her purse. Only to find it on her bed next to her silkiest nightgown oh-so-carelessly left on the bed. His bright hazel eyes flashed at her over his facemask when he handed the purse to her. She swore there was a spark of heat in his gaze, but he averted it before she could be sure. It was downhill from there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every time, he would fall for her little tricks - or humored her enough to make her think he fell for it - and then he would give her a heated look, irritation or exasperation making the color deeper, more golden. She lived for that moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izayoi knew she lived a charmed life. She had been born into a level of privilege that most people would never know. Any gift she could ever want was at her fingertips within days of asking. It had been years since she had made any such request, but now she was faced with a conundrum. There was something she wanted more than anything… and just asking for it yielded no results.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Touga refused to show her his face. She understood the need for masks in public. There was a global pandemic for gods' sakes! But he was essentially isolated with her family all the time. They didn't go out unless it was in a safe setting and they all wore their masks. All the staff, especially those who left the premises, were tested regularly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Maybe he's got a scar," her best friend suggested over a video call. "Could be pretty gnarly.” Gina was another silver spoon kid like Izayoi. They had grown up together and had been secretly plotting non-profit organizations and climate change activism since they were preteens. Gina’s father was in fashion and, since sustainable fashion was all the buzz now, she had been having more luck convincing him to contribute his funds to causes she had vetted. Izayoi’s father… less easily swayed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps. I think he’s just doing it to annoy me now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gina blinked, licking her teeth.  “Really Iz? He’s trying to annoy </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weeellll…” Izayoi sighed, leaning back in her chair.  “Ok, you’re right. He’s just got so much… integrity! And it’s making me insane!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her friend nearly cackled.  “Exactly.  He’s not one of these trust fund fuck boys we’re used to hovering around us.” Which was entirely too accurate.  Izayoi had once told Gina she felt like an open trash can at the end of the summer with all the hornets desperately hovering around. “He might be a real man!” the young woman on the other side of the screen said with a mock gasp, perfectly manicured fingers to her tinted lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That, I can guarantee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gina gave her a sarcastic look and told her to get out. She had a video call appointment with a youth climate change activism group she was the mentor for.  All promising young people who were not about to sit by and watch their world crumble because of some old men who couldn’t see the forest for the trees… or wanted to cut said trees down. Izayoi said her goodbyes and promised to be “good.” At least until Gina would have more time to hear about her antics.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Izayoi.” His deep voice sent a thrill down her spine, but she needed to play it cool.  Had he heard? She had noticed before that he seemed to have excellent acuity. Except when she tried to ask him questions about himself. Or begged him to take his mask off, just for a second. Then suddenly she might as well be talking to a brick. “You have the engagement with the… Ladies from the center?” he reminded her. He tripped over how to refer to the administrators she was meeting with from the local women’s advocacy group. Her father would tell her it was none of her business, and freeze her accounts. It wouldn’t be the first time. Nor the last. But she knew they were in their preparation stage for the colder season and needed all the help they could get.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was just getting ready. You’re not my personal assistant, you know. I can keep track of my own schedule.” She made sure to let her crossed legs slide apart a little more slowly than usual, checking out of the corner of her eye to see if he was watching as she leaned down to buckle the ankles of her wedges. She didn’t miss the slight change in the color of his irises, the way his entire being stiffened.  He was not as unaffected by her as he tried to make her think.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <span>Her next attempt went less than stellarly. Izayoi had thought that pretending to nearly drown in the pool would be a great way to force him to take his mask off.  He couldn’t possibly refuse to remove it if she needed CPR! Of course, he jumped in - fully clothed, mask still in place - to pull her from the water before she could even properly flounder. Which meant she was the one left sputtering as she dripped on the pool deck, Touga’s dark gray shirt sticking to him like a second skin and highlighting every line of muscle in his torso.  The man was </span>
  <em>
    <span>cut</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He had used the phone at poolside to call for several towels, never taking his sharp eyes off of her. And the anger in his gaze made her shiver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the towels arrived, he had her bundled in one while he tossed the other over top of her head, hauling her into his arms and carting her back inside.  “Never. Ever. Do that again,” he hissed in her ear. She couldn’t see him with the towel over her face, but the venom in his tone had been enough to put the fear of the gods in her bones. Putting herself in actual danger never again entered her head after that day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The following week she tried something a bit more subtle. Asking his opinion on dresses for an opera she was supposed to attend. He had stared at her without comment but didn't outright refuse her request. Each was a bit revealing in different ways, drawing attention to various parts of her figure. Izayoi hoped to at least get an idea what part of the female figure he seemed to prefer. She ignored Gina’s voice ringing in her head telling her that </span>
  <em>
    <span>just maybe</span>
  </em>
  <span> he didn’t prefer women at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first was black with a high slit on one side. It showed enough thigh to be borderline inappropriate, but elicited almost no response from her stoic guard. He simply shrugged and waved for her to try the next one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A red ensemble this time, it had a thin mesh panel across the midriff that allowed a bit more than a peek at her waist. Her bellybutton was even visible when she shifted, the crystals moving with the fabric when she twisted. His eyes conveyed only disinterest, arms crossing over his chest as he leaned back in his chair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izayoi frowned as she sorted through the gowns Gina had sent over. Some of them were fairly risque, even for the purpose of the game she was playing. A silver number had a dropped back silhouette that bared all until just above the curve of her ass, while the blue one had a wide neckline that sat at the shoulders with just a hint of cleavage. She hesitated for a long moment before sliding into the silken silver dress, adjusting the shoulders and the neckline in the front to keep it from sliding down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stepped out into her room, holding up the long skirt, contemplating the kind of shoes she would need to wear to keep it from dragging too much since she wasn’t as tall as Gina. Touga's regard remained bored, his body language entirely relaxed. It wasn't until she turned to look at herself in the mirror that she caught the widening of his eyes and how he slowly sat up to attention. She could just barely make out his pupils dilating and the movement of his jaw that made her think he might be clenching it. But it could have been her imagination, finding him looking at his phone instead when she turned around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What do you think?" she asked anxiously, brushing her hands down the shiny silver front of the dress. He glanced up from under the longer hair that had fallen into his eyes. He lifted his hand in a so-so gesture. Izayoi turned back to the mirror and bit her lip to keep from smiling at how his eyes stayed glued to her back. She leaned down just enough to grab the lower part of the gown to flare the skirt out, pretending to contemplate the lines. Were she less attentive to his every movement, she might have missed how his fist clenched and the sound of his leather bracer creaking. "I suppose this one could do," she muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled her long hair up into a twist, taking a pair of hairsticks from her dressing table and securing it to get a better idea of what it would look like with her hair done. A soft sound behind her made her freeze with her hands still fiddling with the second stick to make it stay. She glanced at his reflection in the mirror and was a little stunned to see him stuffing his hands into his armpits, his shoulders so tight he looked ready to pop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"T-Take it or leave it," he finally responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You don't like it?" Izayoi questioned, her surprise real, turning halfway to him. "I thought it was alright." She noticed his Adam's apple jump as he swallowed. He tried again to shrug nonchalantly, but it was stilted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wear the black one," he said eventually. She frowned, but decided that she would follow his advice this time. All while keeping the little bit of knowledge she’d gained from this attempt tucked in her pocket for a later time.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Help!” she cried out, desperate not to giggle nervously.  This was her ballsiest idea yet.  She almost expected that he would send someone else in to check on her instead of bursting into her bathroom himself. He immediately averted his gaze to her forehead. “I left the towel out…” He was reaching for the door again before she could even finish. “There.” He came back and almost threw it at her, trying to keep his eyes up. Well that wouldn’t do at all.  How on earth was she going to get him to break his severe stoicism? The proverbial light bulb went on in her head and Izayoi let her lips curl in a cheshire grin. “Look down and I’ll put the towel on.” His eyes widened a moment and he stared at her in silent bemusement. “Or I could just... walk out on the balcony like this,” she mused, nodding toward the french doors beside the soaker tub.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll catch cold,” he tried to argue through audibly gritting teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's 80° out, Touga. Might even be nice for sunbathing…" She turned as if to go over there, freezing when his large hand caught hold of her upper arm. It was gentle, but definitely firm. Izayoi felt the faintest vibration where his flesh met hers, the creak of his leather wrist bands making her shiver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Miss Izayoi…" Her eyebrows dropped at his attempt to put even more emotional distance between them. "Izayoi. This is highly in…" Her movement toward the doors froze him in his tracks. An exasperated sound left his throat, but he finally gave in. His molten regard melted slowly down her frame, fully taking in her curves. She was still wet from her shower, beads of water trickling down over her skin. She felt his grip tighten ever so faintly when his eyes met her hips. Then he flicked his eyes back to hers before shifting away from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright. You win. I'll put the towel on. But you have to take your mask off."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Izayoi…" A warning rumbled in his tone. His eyes seemed to darken further to a heated amber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I just want to see who protects me, who takes such good care of me." She stepped into his personal space, the towel still in her hand. He stiffened much more visibly, holding his breath. "Please?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A frisson of fear went down her spine when he snarled something unintelligible. "Fine, woman, fine! Don't say I didn't warn you. You won't like what you see." His right hand came up and snatched the ear loop of his facemask and yanked the whole thing off his face. It was Izayoi's turn to take a deep breath.  There was no scar, no blemishes to mark his face, not a single thing for him to want to hide… Except… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was youkai.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was no other explanation for the vivid indigo markings slashing across his cheekbones, the now blatantly golden amber shade of his eyes. He was heaving for air, fangs glistening in the sunlight. She could now spot the faint point to his ears that was always hidden by his wavy hair hanging over them. Touga was even more handsome than she had imagined he'd be. "Oh."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh? That's all you have to say?" His growl of frustration heated the air between them. Izayoi could only blink at him in surprise when he clearly expected an answer. "I'll collect my things. I can recommend another guard…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Y-You want someone else to protect me?" she murmured in disbelief. "I'm sorry, Touga. I was out of line, I…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Someone else protect you? Of course… no, I don't want that." His hands cupped her shoulders, obviously not paying attention to her nakedness anymore. "Izayoi. Your safety is my priority, always."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Because it's your job," she sighed, shifting her weight in preparation for moving out of his hold. His long fingers tightened as he growled. Izayoi struggled to keep the tears from her eyes. "I understand. I apologize for my behavior. I won't tease you anymore." She numbly looked down at the towel in her hand before wrapping it around herself. It had been fun, giving him a hard time, until she realized how awful she was being to him. She was exactly the entitled brat she had fought not to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Izayoi…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry, Touga. It was wrong of me. You were just doing your job and here I am treating you like you don't have feelings…" She bit back tears of shame, now horribly embarrassed that she had completely bared herself to a man who didn't actually want to see her that way. She'd been so caught up in the game of it and her own delusional belief that he liked it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's… Don't cry…" he begged her. Izayoi shook her head, turning on her heel and slipping past him so he wouldn't see the tears streaming down her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn't realize he could smell them…</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <span>Touga buzzed her phone for the third time in almost as many minutes. She was dressed, and technically ready, but she wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>ready</span>
  </em>
  <span>. This dinner was the first time in weeks that she would have to be anywhere alone with her bodyguard, even if it was only in the car to and from the restaurant. He had tried a few times to talk to her, but she avoided him by taking phone calls that didn't exist and making "lady problem" excuses to hide in the bathroom until he let her be. He was steadfast, but respectful of her space, never barging in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gina had talked her into wearing the silver dress this time on their video chat earlier, giving her pointers on the right shoes and directing her on how to put up her hair. The strappy sandals were the tallest pair she owned, but Gina was right in predicting they would help the dress hang correctly without dragging on the ground. She sighed as she adjusted a few bobby pins, making sure the finger waves sweeping over her left eye were sitting properly and weren’t going to fall as she moved. The bun in the back was much sturdier and wasn’t going anywhere without some serious movement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t even want to go to the dinner.  She had a feeling her father was trying to set her up with his partner’s son, Takemaru. Having only met him once before, she was still fairly certain he was exactly the kind of trust fund playboy she wanted nothing to do with. But as her father had it written that she could not collect any part of her own trust fund until she was twenty-five, or married - whichever came first - she was trapped by his whims for another three months. He obviously hoped to keep her under a tight leash with a bodyguard to keep tabs on her at all times and only limited access to finances. If she didn’t have very specific plans for her trust fund, she would have simply left to decide her own fate years ago. The advocacy group needed those funds desperately if they were going to build a new shelter to house both women and children.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Izayoi. You are going to be late.” His deep voice startled her out of her daze, making her jump. She hadn’t been this nervous around him before… She needed to pull herself together and stop flinching every time his number showed up on her phone and every time she heard his voice. He was her bodyguard. He was going to be around her all the time, for at least the next few months. “Iz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. I heard you,” she snapped. Taking a deep breath, she slowly stood, grabbing the lightweight shawl and her wristlet, making sure she had a backup facemask tucked in with her lip stain and powder. She opened her bedroom door, not entirely surprised to find him just outside. She was not prepared for him dressed in a slate blue partial button down, dark gray slacks, and a pair of suspenders stretched over his chest.  He had his sleeves rolled up, the folds looking ironed. “I… Oh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” he mused, one eyebrow lifting with a mocking tilt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izayoi huffed, wrapping herself in anger and irritation instead of allowing herself to feel flustered by how good he looked dressed like that. “Come on then, if we’re going to be late.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” he breathed as she stormed past him. Izayoi glanced at him over her left shoulder, nose in the air, and made her way down the stairs.  She wasn’t going to believe that he was suddenly impressed by her in this dress when he had been so indifferent to her before. “Izayoi, wait,” he called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t be late!” she insisted, hurrying down the steps.  He was right on her heels, catching her elbow and pausing her downward momentum.  “What on earth?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are going to break your neck in those heels going down like that,” he scolded her. He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and started them at a slightly more sedate pace. “Late is better than dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe,” she muttered petulantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as they were in the car, Izayoi took advantage of the mini bar, pouring herself a glass of the red wine available. She was not going to make it through this ride, let alone dinner, without something to settle her nerves. Touga sat beside her with his head in his hand against the glass, attention out the window as they started down the driveway. Izayoi settled back in her seat, the stemless glass cradled in her hand. She sighed as he idly tapped his knuckles on the glass, annoyed by his obvious irritation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until they hit a dip in the gravel driveway, likely a result of the heavy rains they’d had the week before, jarring her enough to send the wine sloshing up and out of the glass. She squealed, terrified that she had just spilled red wine on a very expensive dress she was technically borrowing from a friend. Yet there was not a drop on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shit."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her gaze slid slowly to her travel companion and she gasped. Across his chest was a large splash of her syrah, soaking into his shirt immediately. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have…" Izayoi nearly burst into tears, the strain of their very fraught relationship making this usually small thing feel huge. She quickly started to dab at his shirt with the napkins she had at hand, but there was no way she would be able to get the red wine out before they made it to the venue. Touga only flashed her a look, nudging her hands away, and pushed the intercom to the driver. He asked him to turn them around. "Oh gods… I really am sorry."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's not the end of the world." Once they were back at the house, he offered her a hand out. She asked if she shouldn't just stay in the car. "Come with me while I change. Need to keep an eye on you," he intoned evenly. Izayoi followed along behind him, suddenly realizing she had no idea where his room actually was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The remote wing of the house had once held several staff quarters. Staff that were no longer needed now that the pandemic didn't allow for guests or parties. Izayoi scowled at the memory of her father letting staff go that needed those jobs for their entire livelihood. His thought had only been that they were not necessary and he didn't like to keep unnecessary things around. She had argued with him to no avail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Distracted by her angry thoughts, she was startled by Touga's abrupt stop in front of her. She collided with his side, his arm going around her waist to stabilize her on her ridiculously high heels. "Another reason not to drink before you get there," he rumbled in a tone that almost sounded playful. Izayoi blinked, then stepped back to give him room to unlock his door. As flustered as she was, she imagined his fingertips tracing her spine as he took his hand away, causing heat to suffuse her cheeks. The door opened and he gestured her in ahead of him as though nothing had happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His space was simple, completely uncluttered, completely… impersonal. Anyone would be hard-pressed to identify that </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> lived there. He indicated the lone armchair with a tilt of his head, waiting to make sure she sat before handling his own problem. He went to the closet, snapping off his suspenders, and pulled out another similar shirt, laying it aside on the couch as he started pulling up his shirttails. Izayoi turned her eyes away when he grabbed at the back of the shoulders to haul it over his head, knowing it would be impolite to stare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was unprepared for the long wide mirror across from his bed. The mirror that showed him peeling out of his stained shirt, revealing markings over his shoulders. Two on each side, they were identical to the ones on his cheeks, but larger. They started on his back and curved over his shoulders and to his collarbones. He turned to get the new shirt which displayed the slashes of color at his hips, disappearing into the waistband of his slacks. She wanted to follow them...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izayoi felt warm all of a sudden. Her eyes dropped to her lap for a moment, flinching when he made a tsking sound. He walked past her to the kitchenette sink, wetting a cloth to wipe at his chest. Studying himself in the mirror, he stepped into her space. "Did I get it all?" he asked, repeating himself when she didn't respond. Izayoi finally let herself look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"N-No there's a spot…" She started to gesture toward him only to have the damp cloth shoved into her open hand. "What…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Faster if you just do it. Don't want to be late," he reminded her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hands shaking, Izayoi stood. He said nothing to acknowledge her, his gaze focused on the mirror as he tried to see the spot of sticky residue. It was hard to keep her eyes only on the spot and ignore the very handsome man that it was on, the planes of his broad chest and lines of his muscled arms too amazing to look away from. She managed to gently wipe away the spot, but noticed his shirt wasn't the only victim of her spill. His silvery hair and the loop of his facemask were also stained. "I… oh dear." She reached for his hair with the cloth, jumping when his hand caught her wrist. "It's in your hair and mask," she explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Touga released her, his hand moving to the earloop and pulling it off. He dropped the mask on the side table, but made no move to go get another. Izayoi felt her cheeks flush, her body tingling in anticipation of the reprimand likely to come out of his mouth. "You're not usually afraid of me, Izayoi," he rumbled. She shrugged. "Do my markings bother you?" he queried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aghast, her head popped up, a denial on her lips. "That isn't it at all!" Her eyes widened. He was so close. A step back proved unwise, her heel catching on the rug. Warm fingers met the bare skin open at her back, the wide palm making contact a breath later. To stay her balance he pulled her toward him, her heated body impacting his upper thigh. Her breath entered her lungs unevenly, the feeling of his warm hand more than her fragile sense of balance could handle. “Touga…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” he hummed, his golden eyes shimmering in the low light. His fingers shifted against her spine and she bit her lip to hold in a whimper. She could feel the barest edge of his claws, which he kept filed down, pressing into her. “You are not afraid of me, Izayoi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” she confirmed in a small voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is good.” He stepped back slightly but allowed his fingers to trace down her spine until his hand could no longer feasibly touch her back. Izayoi couldn’t help the whimper that escaped her that time.  Touga grinned, the first time she’d ever seen him do so. And it was not a cheery grin… it was predatory. “Ah, a taste of your own medicine, isn’t it?” he breathed as he leaned in toward her ear. Izayoi gulped. His long fingers traced her shoulder, sliding her shawl off and letting it hit the ground.  “May I see this dress again? I’m not sure I got the full effect before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izayoi allowed him to turn her until she was facing the mirror with him behind her. His eyes flashed at her before he stepped back far enough to look all the way down the expanse of her back and back up to the line of her neck. Fingertips slowly brushed down from her nape until they reached the draped fabric just at her hips. She fought not to arch like a cat into his touch, wanting more contact. She let their eyes meet in the mirror, embarrassment at how easily she responded to his touch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It suits you,” he told her. His finger brushed against her shoulder before gently nudging the outside edge of the dress where it was placed with a small amount of fashion tape and hope. It didn’t take much for it to slide off her shoulder. His thumb caressed a small circle around the joint. Izayoi maintained eye contact with him via their reflections, watching him watch her. She whispered his name in question as he shifted to her other side, hand on the opposite shoulder to push the other strap off. Her instinct to catch the dress against her was quelled by the look in his eyes. So down it went, slipping over her arms until it hung at her waist and wrists. Her chest heaved in a startled breath when his nose traced a line along the back of her shoulders.  “You smell delicious. Did you know that, Izayoi?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… No?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm,” he chuckled.  “You do. Especially to me.” She bit her lip, closing her eyes and letting her head drop forward as his fingers found each bump in her neck, down between her shoulder blades and to the very edge of the dress. He stopped there, but only to drop to his knees behind her.  “You do not know how badly I have wanted to do exactly this since the first time you tried on this dress.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“D-Do what?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t say, but then he didn’t need to. Izayoi felt wet warmth on her back. His tongue, hot and slick, made its way up the ridges of her spine, stopping occasionally to nip or kiss her skin.  Izayoi never would have imagined that something like this would feel as sensual as it did. She sighed when he reached her nape again, fangs grazing her neck just enough to remind her they were there. His hands slid around her waist, wide hands pressing to her hip and her belly, making her shiver in anticipation of where his hands might move from there. “If I let you go right now, what would you do?” he mused, lips against her ear, bringing her gaze up to his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” she gasped, leaning back into his solid frame, his bare chest against her bare back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have been teasing me for months, begging for my attention. And this is it, this is what that means. For an inuyoukai like me, you have been signaling courting all along.” He swallowed thickly. “So if I stopped right now, if I left, what would you do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izayoi froze, her dark gray eyes widening. Was this revenge for what she had done? Did he mean to humiliate her and then just leave? “I… I didn’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am very aware of that, my dear,” he grimaced, shifting his weight a bit. “But I am making you aware now. Do you wish to pursue your previous path, or was the game of it enough?” Izayoi could only blink and breathe at first, unsure of how to respond. What if he was only teasing her? What if he wanted something…  But no. Touga had plenty of chances to allow things to happen if he had wanted to take advantage of her. “There is no deceit,” he murmured softly, obviously catching on to her hesitation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you not tell me before?” she wondered, turning toward him to finally face what was happening between them.  He shrugged.  She chewed her lower lip in thought, in hesitation. Touga let out a soft groan, leaning toward her but catching himself barely a breath from her lips. “I want you to kiss me,” she sighed.  A tiny smile twitched on his lips. “Let’s take it from there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As you wish.” His lips found hers waiting, soft and open to his kiss. His mouth was warm, insistent, drawing her into him as his arms slid around her waist and drew her into his hold. Izayoi whimpered at the feel of his chest pressed against her, the heat and strength of his arms around her. She had dreamed of this, once or twice, but the reality was much more intense on her senses. There was a rumble in his chest she had not expected. He used his teeth much more than she would have guessed, and she liked it far more than she ever would have anticipated.  “Off,” he purred against her lips, his thumbs hooking under the edge of her dress at her hips and pushing downward.  Izayoi swallowed as he moved down her frame, his lips ghosting over her ribs, her belly. She didn’t miss how he inhaled near her center when he knelt in front of her.  His fingers deftly unbuckled her heels, sliding his hand across the ball of her foot as he removed each one. Looking up at her, his silver hair falling back from his slightly pointed ears, Izayoi was left speechless by the beauty of this man. Closer to him without her shoes on, she leaned down, cupped his cheeks and placed a soft kiss on his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm. What was that for?” he asked, a dreamy look in his golden eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you’re amazing.” He chuckled softly, then more heartily when he made her squeal from surprise as he scooped her up off her feet and carried her back the few steps to his armchair. “Here?” she asked, confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Slowly, Love.” Izayoi sighed happily at the endearment, reassured that he wasn’t about to suddenly back out on her.  Her fingers tangled in the suspenders at his hips, tugging on them to leverage her hips against his. Izayoi was pleased to watch him let his head fall back, an almost whimper leaving his throat.  It was nice to feel a bit like she was in control again, the power in her hands once more. She knew it wasn’t likely to last, given how he’d handled her earlier, but she was looking forward to that too. “Can I take… How the hell is this thing even staying on?” he grumbled as his hands slid up her sides to frame the bottom edge of her breasts, suspended in her backless bra. She giggled at his confusion and showed him where the adhesive was sticking to her skin.  “Half your outfit is scotch tape,” he teased, grinning up at her as he released her from the stretchy material.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izayoi again fought down the urge to cover herself, the way he took her in too mesmerizing. His pupils were blown wide, his mouth slightly open as he took a shuddering breath. Touga’s hands smoothed over her back again, encouraging her to rock her heat into his growing arousal through his slacks, the faint points of his claws making her shiver. Her breasts responded accordingly, her nipples tightening with arousal.  “Touga,” she whispered. He hummed that he was listening while pushing her hands toward his fly. Her fingers worked the button loose, then slid the zipper down. He pushed up with her on top of him, his abs flexing, to help slide his pants off. She tipped forward when he settled back down, his smiling mouth catching her lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of his hands slid up the back of her neck, gently wiggling his long fingers into the base of her bun and slowly working out the pins as they slid their mouths against each other. He gently nipped her lower lip, tugging it between his teeth and then smoothing over it with his tongue. Izayoi let her tongue meet his, hot and slick. He growled against her as his fingers finally worked all the pins out and her hair fell loose across her shoulder. His kiss changed, became more urgent than before. She was slightly overwhelmed by his intensity, the increased passion she felt from him. "Izayoi, tell me to stop," he whispered suddenly. She shook her head, pushing forward to kiss him again. "If you don't, I won't, and then we'll be…" he broke off with a faint whimper when she shifted against him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Be what? Together?" He couldn't seem to help lifting his hips to press his arousal against her heat. "Just friends with benefits?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He snarled at that, red flashing across the whites of his eyes. "No. You would be mine, no one else's."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And you would be mine?" Her clarifying question brought him up from his semi reclined position, both of his hands delving into her hair to bring her mouth to his in a harsh kiss. He gentled when she winced, lips softening in apology.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was yours the moment I caught your scent." Izayoi gasped. "You think that mask was just to hide these?" He said with a laugh, bringing her hands to his cheeks. "Your scent was distracting me as soon as I set foot on the property."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's why you refused?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That and I couldn't let you see how much you affected me." He sighed. "I'm not… we shouldn't…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're fired."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?!" he barked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izayoi shrugged. "You are no longer an employee of this family as of six this evening."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That was over an hour… ago. Izayoi?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This isn't unprofessional if you aren't an employee." She had him there. Technically, his contract said nothing about not seducing his charge. Though, honestly, it had been the other way around. "Now, man who is in no way connected to me, I will not tell you to stop."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took him a moment to process and accept her words, then he was on his feet with her thighs around his hips, her arms around his neck and her laughing lips against his. "You are sure?" he asked as he sat her on the edge of the bed. She nodded. He opened his mouth to question her again but was met with her lips instead, silencing his doubts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izayoi took her time tracing the ridges of his torso, the lines of his markings at his shoulders and hips. Touga groaned when her fingers brushed his cock through the fabric, bucking toward her involuntarily. Smelling the tiniest bit of trepidation in her scent, he struggled to get himself back under control. He didn't want to scare her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Touga swallowed back a groan when she gained her confidence and slid her fingertips under the waistband of his boxer briefs. The feel of her nails grazing the sensitive skin there had desire pulsating in his belly. "Iz…" he hissed as she tugged the band down over his hips. Her curious touch on his hip markings had his legs quivering. Which was enough of an excuse to drop to his knees, pushing hers wide so he could move in to press his nose to her silk covered heat. There was a darkened, dampened spot where her scent was calling him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His nose was quickly followed by his smirking lips when she gasped, delighted by how responsive she was. He let the claws of his thumbs lightly scrape against the junctures of her thighs as he mimicked the motion against her through her underwear with his tongue. The way Izayoi arched, fingers digging into the sheets, had his blood heating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Tell me to stop," he murmured against her. The intensity of his want was almost scaring him. Never in his life had he ever felt arousal to this extent. Her scent was clouding his rational thought and he needed her to give him a reason to back off or he was about to do something that might truly frighten her away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No. Don't stop." He snarled at her response, nipping her inner thigh in retaliation. He snagged her panties with his thumbs and tore them away from her body with a rip through either side. There she was, open and glistening for him, whimpering for more. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not helping the control</span>
  </em>
  <span>, some part of him murmured. The rest was too caught up by her scent. He leaned in, almost in a trance, and pressed his lips to her. She tensed in his hands at first, trying to close her legs on reflex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Ah ah," he scolded. "Don't tell me to keep going and then try to keep me out." He smirked at her faint look of surprise, then took advantage of her distraction to dive in once more. Her thighs tried to close again, but he already had her clit between his lips and his tongue seeking the way she liked to be caressed. Izayoi squealed for a moment, then moaned softly and slowly relaxed back into the bed enough to allow him some movement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took him a bit to learn her, to find how and where she liked his tongue, where she preferred his lips. It was worth the effort, finding that she was very responsive to his tongue on the underside of her clit pressed up against his teeth. Just enough and she was bowing up off the mattress. Her fingers slipped into his hair, lightly tugging to direct his head. Touga growled when a particularly rough yank set his scalp tingling, shooting sparks down his spine. He repeated the action that had caused her to respond that way and was pleased to find it was enough to send her over the edge. "Touga!" she whimpered, fingers carding more gently through his hair as she slowly melted into the coverlet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When her thighs finally released, allowing his shoulders free, Touga kissed his way up the length of her body. He took his time, circling his tongue around her hip bone, dipping into her bellybutton. She giggled at the tickling caress. Touga grinned against her belly, chuckling a bit himself. It was nice to be free with her, to feel like he </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> laugh. He had been playing at being a statue for the last several months and it had been torturous to never join in with her laughter, her smiles, her joking and teasing.  Her flirting…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which reminded him of her modeling those dresses to try and suss out his preferences.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Touga smirked a little evilly, moving up to press his lips to hers. She sighed against him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, fingers pressing into his shoulder blades. “Izayoi, I want to try something. Will you let me?” he murmured. She stiffened for a brief moment but nodded slowly that she trusted him. With gentle hands, he took her hips and carefully rolled her over. He savored the feel of her ass in his hands, the way the flesh gave just enough. Izayoi took an uneven breath which cued him to whisper how beautiful he thought she was, palm smoothing over the outsides of her thighs, then sit back and take her in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On her stomach, he could see the long line of her spine, faintly arched as she hugged his pillow to her chest. “Touga?” she asked in concern at how still he was, the fact that he hadn’t made another move to touch her yet. He took in a deep breath, her scent floating on the air as she shifted nervously.  Then she finally lifted her head and looked at him over her shoulder and it was more than his restraint could handle. He knelt on the edge of the bed, pulling her hips up on one smooth motion. His mouth was on her without preamble, her gasp delicious in his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With her ass in the air, he was able to pull back just enough and see the way the moonlight reflected off her perfect skin, the curve of her back into her shoulders.  It was calling his fangs… but not yet. Not yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izayoi shifted impatiently, drawing the wrath of his teeth to keep her still for just a moment. “Touga!” she reprimanded him, but it was more from being unfamiliar with his signs of affection than actual anger. He laved his tongue over the nip to soothe the sting, smiling to himself when she pressed against his mouth.  His long fingers caressed the curve of her cheeks, thumb caressing her center. She sucked in a startled breath when he brushed his thumb against her where she clearly did not expect him. “T-Touga?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just touching, Love, nothing more.” He caught her nibbling her lip uncertainly.  “If you don't want me to…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s ok,” she whispered. Her voice was a bit high with anxiety, but he sensed no real fear.  She trusted him. Which was a far more meaningful gift than she realized.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it bothers you…”  She mumbled something into the pillow.  “Izayoi?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It kinda felt good,” she confessed a little louder. He hid his smile and only hummed his approval, kissing over the spot he had nipped earlier.  Touga returned to dipping his tongue into her slick heat, teasing her clit, and letting his hands gently squeeze her ass to get her more accustomed to him touching her there. Slowly, gauging her comfort by her scent and body language, he slid his thumb between her cheeks, thrusting his tongue into her in the way he’d discovered she liked earlier. He repeated it a few times, increasing the pressure of his thumb against her rosebud just slightly. He was rewarded with her gasping and moaning out his name, shifting slightly closer to him instead of away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Touga felt like he might burst with the combination of her taste on his tongue, her scent in his nose and her little moans filling his ears.  He had been ignoring his own need fairly well until she rolled her hips back toward his face, begging him to give her more. Touga realized that it wasn’t just her voice and her body language asking for more.  Her scent was suddenly calling him in a way he didn’t initially understand. Now though… now he fully understood.  His little human was nearly in heat and it would be dangerous for them to continue. “Damn,” he growled, backing off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-What’s wrong?” she asked him, looking at him over her shoulder, her hair a tumble on the sheets beside her.  Touga felt the temptation hit him like a kick in the gut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You're not taking anything for contraception, are you?” he stated more than asked. Her eyes went wide and she blushed, but shook her head. As he had suspected.  “I knew I was forgetting something…" he muttered to himself, then for her benefit, "I'm not prepared,” he admitted softly. She stared at him a little longer until he felt compelled to acknowledge why he even brought it up, explaining that her scent changed with her cycle and he knew it wasn’t a good idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why isn’t it?” she demanded to know.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could very well end up whelped.” He was completely unprepared for the way her scent shifted in surprise and then cloying lust.  “I-Izayoi?” he almost squeaked out.  That was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> the reaction he had anticipated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe, maybe not. It’s a risk I’m willing to take… if you are?” she whispered, pressing her face into the pillow in fear of his response. Would he stop right there? Kick her out? Leave and never come back?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izayoi squeaked at the feel of his large hands sliding over her ass and to her waist, upward until his arms encircled her and his hands cupped her shoulders.  He pulled her upright on her knees and tight to his chest, the warmth of him against her drugging.  She couldn’t help moaning a little. His teeth pressing lightly against the back of her shoulder made her gasp outright, but with a shiver of delight. “Then let’s see what fate decides,” he growled in her ear. He nipped her a little harder before lowering her back to the bed and pressing his arousal against her heat, hands returning to her hips. Izayoi felt a giddy little flutter in her belly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” she sighed as he pressed into her, torturously slow, careful.  Not that she didn’t appreciate his caution - he was considerably more endowed than her singular previous partner - but it was going to make her insane if he continued to make her wait. “Touga, come on,” she pleaded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, but we have all night,” he purred as he slipped in a little further, then pulled back just enough to make her shift in search of him. He let out a breathy chuckle in response, incrementally pushing into her then retreating until she was moving rhythmically to take him entirely. Making her work for it. “You are stunning, you know that?” he murmured, thumbs lightly spreading her cheeks so he could fully take in the view of her heat accepting his cock. The way her back undulated as he moved was entrancing. The shifting light on her glowing skin made him want to taste her again, leaning down to lightly drag his tongue against her spine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izayoi arched into the feel of him covering her body with his, mouth claiming little bits of flesh along her back as he thrust into her. She noticed that he snarled with the harder impacts, catching his fangs flashing in the moonlight when she glanced over her shoulder at him. He was gorgeous and nearly feral as he pounded into her. She gasped when his thumb returned to pressing against the cleft of her ass above where he was driving into her. He remained gentle, but insistent, the dual pressure forcing a cry out of her lungs. "Touga!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes, my Love," he crooned, gritting his teeth. "Feeling full?" She whimpered his name again. "Not full enough," he rumbled, pressing just the blunted end of his thumb inside her as he finally let himself give in to her pulsing, grasping, sex. Izayoi screamed into the pillow as hot streams of his seed flowed into her, her muscles rippling over his cock until he felt entirely drained. His lover took great sobbing breaths as she calmed, the pair remaining locked together for several moments as they tried to regain their senses. Slowly slipping from the tight warmth that surrounded him, Touga shifted onto his side along her length, large hand resting gently on her quivering belly. "Are you alright?" he murmured against her ear while moving to cradle her entirely in his embrace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes," she breathed. Her scent spoke of contentment, of safety, and the inuyoukai smiled into her hair. His own contentment flooded him in that moment, the joy of finally connecting with this amazing woman in a way that he had never dreamed would be possible. She was in his arms, her lithe body melting into his larger frame.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she wouldn’t be there were it not for the events of the evening, Touga sighed.  It was time to come clean. “Izayoi?” She hummed lightly in response, telling him she was bordering on sleep.  He turned her over, patting her cheek gently to make sure she was awake.  “I must confess something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The way she stiffened and her scent shifted made him clam up at first. But it wasn’t in anger, but fear, that her scent settled.  “W-What is it?” she whispered, her tone indicating she was bracing herself for bad news.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The inuyoukai took a big breath in and held it before blowing it out slowly, ruffling her bangs. “I may have… made sure that we ended up here tonight.” Izayoi blinked, her dark brows lowering over her stormy gray eyes. “You were pulling away from me, shutting me out,” he rushed to explain. “I wanted a chance for us to be alone, but you…” He growled, shuttering golden eyes for a beat to collect himself. “I meant what I said earlier. You have been pulling me in from the moment I set foot in this house and your actions made me think that you wanted me too. That day in the bathroom…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… embarrassed you.  I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. No, Izayoi,” he huffed, lifting her chin with his finger.  “I was barely keeping it together. You have no idea how </span>
  <em>
    <span>tempting</span>
  </em>
  <span> you are,” he growled, pressing a hard kiss to her mouth, only pulling back when the light prick of her nails in his arms reminded him that he needed to tell her the whole truth. “Tonight though… I cancelled the dinner reservation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well that was smart, I mean, we weren’t going to…” She paused, slate eyes analyzing his face.  “You mean before we got in the car, don’t you?” Touga winced, then nodded.  True to the intelligent nature he had been admiring from the beginning, her eyes narrowed, pinning him with the weight of her oncoming inquisition. “What else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a breath, Touga confessed how he had made sure that there was only red wine in the car, that he had worked out a signal with the driver to hit one of the several potholes he knew were there.  He couldn’t predict the exact angle of the spill, but he had tried to make sure she didn’t ruin </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> clothing. He had hoped that she would respond to him peeling out of his clothes in front of her, but he had been worried she would turn tail and run. “That’s why I tried to get you to help instead of just sitting there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You wanted to see if my scent gave me away,” she murmured, a little accusingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Touga carded his fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her face. “There was a chance that it had all been a game to you, that without the thrill of the chase…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t really be interested.  I’m not that kind of woman, Touga, you know that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He did. He had always known. But even the slimmest chance that she had only been interested until she knew his true nature had forced him to find out the truth. “I am sorry that I used deceit to get us here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taste of my own medicine, I believe,” she said, finally smiling and pressing her forehead into his chest. Touga felt himself relax by degrees, the way Izayoi melted into him soothing some part of him he didn’t realize was raw until now. Her trust, her acceptance, were a welcome weight on his shoulders.  “I have to be honest with you about something too,” she whispered, keeping her face in the crook of his neck.  “We can’t… we can’t be open about our relationship, not yet.”  So much for acceptance…  “Not because of that!” she grumbled, sensing the change in his demeanor.  “My trust doesn’t release for another three months. Until then, I’m not supposed to… Well, my father still could take it back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you need that for the women’s shelter.”  She lifted her head to beam at him for his easy insight.  He completely understood her motivation.  She had been showing him from day one that her heart was big and helping the shelter was her one true love. He smiled softly, a hand smoothing over her side, her hip. Which drew his attention to her soft belly. “And what if fate has blessed us?” he whispered to her.  “In three months’ time, it would begin to show.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izayoi sighed. “We will worry about that as it comes. N-Nothing to be done about it now.” She covered his hand with both of her own. “We will find a way, Touga.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grinned, nuzzling into her temple.  “Yes, my Love.  We will find a way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Look forward to a second part sometime in the future!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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